


Fortune Parlor

by countingcr0ws



Category: DBSK | Tohoshinki | TVfXQ | TVXQ
Genre: Alternate Reality, Generally Happy, M/M, Romance, School Life, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-03
Updated: 2014-02-03
Packaged: 2018-01-11 01:11:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,295
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1166818
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/countingcr0ws/pseuds/countingcr0ws
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jaejoong has a prophetic mother, and he struggles to uncover whether he loves Yunho for who he is, or simply because Yunho's the one at the end of his string of fate.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Beta: liltee_jycyj at LJ

Have you heard about the recent whirlwind marriage between the famous Korean actress and the son of the major conglomerate? According to the news, they've barely known each other beyond a month, and everyone's expecting them to split up within weeks.

But let me tell you something that nobody's ever going to know- they wouldn't.

Why wouldn't you believe me?  
I would wager my life that they'll be together till the end of time, blissful and in love.  
After all, my mother had a hand in that.

My mother's a florist. Actually, I don't really know what her job is. She never wanted to label it clearly anyway, so I'm not going to, either.

My mother possesses a certain brand of divine powers that she inherited from my grandmother, which allows her to anticipate the future in the vaguest of forms. It hasn't been particularly helpful in my opinion (okay maybe a little, I'll give in to that. _Just not that much._ ), not that it ever deterred those desperate customers.

She sincerely believes in the folklore that everyone has a partner in their life, and that every single person is connected to another by a red string wound around their smallest finger.  
And then all of us would spend the rest of our lives trying to unwind the tangle of fates, just to find the very person on the other end. Most people would simply give up searching, settling for the second or third best at some point of time, signing themselves up for a life of mediocrity (contributing to the adultery and divorce cases simply because they aren't with the one they should be with).

Anyway, in short, my mother helps people find that very person with her heightened sense of awareness (her line, not mine) and Kim Tae Hyun, who was from my province, counts as one of her many successful customers. We were invited to her wedding, but my mother declined the offer, much to my utmost disappointment. She made Tae Hyun noona (she was my neighbour when we were younger) promise to not tell anyone about it. You see, she has to know her customers to a certain degree to direct them to the right place and kick-start their happy marriage lives.

Anyway, apart from offering clues that would lead to that person, she also specialises in tea cup readings, which explains the inordinate amount of tea I consume at home (I'm meeting the one soon, or so says my leaves). She also sells aromatherapy blends popularized by word of mouth, and Junsu's mom (Junsu is Yoochun's boyfriend, and Yoochun's my best friend) is a huge fan of it. I don't mean to brag or anything, but the moms love me. I think it's due to my mother.  
Honestly.

 

Throughout the memories that I possess since my childhood, I only remember growing up with my mother, even though my father only died in a car accident when I was three (she can't predict everything, you see). I'm sure that he was a good man, but save for the few stories that she shares occasionally, I really don't know much about him.  
Looking at his pictures is like surveying the faces of strangers who don't really matter, passing you by on a crowded street.  
Only that there's a little of myself in him, so it feels a little creepy.

I'm sure that we would get along pretty well if I ever saw him at the _other world_ , but right now, I'm just fine living only with my mom.  
She did her best to fill in the space that I never really minded (I suppose only because she did a pretty good job), and in the cupboards of her consultation room are the books that she pored over meticulously just to teach me how to play baseball, basketball and all the various sports that boys were ‘ _supposed to_ ’ know.  
Now that I'm much older, and even though I'm not particularly adept in sports, I'm more familiar with the various rules than my peers, thanks to my mom who used to organize mandatory weekend outdoor activities that comprised of the most expensive sporting equipment that I've belatedly learnt _don't really matter_.

But nonetheless, I would still proclaim without hesitation that I had a great, possibly even _fantastic_ childhood, full credits to my whirlwind of a mother who never allowed anything to get her down.

-

"Stop it!" I protested irritably, ducking my head as I avoided the pesky hand that had been patting the back of my head fondly. My mother had suddenly started the unbearable action since yesterday, and it was unfortunately still showing no signs of abating.

"Go wait for Junsu with Yoochun today," she suddenly injected, as she proceeded to fondle the back of my head amusedly for the third time in the morning. Humming noncommittally, I folded the slice of bread as I picked my bottle up to leave for school.

Shouldn't I be hunting for my true love since the person was close now?

"You have to!" She insisted as if reading my thoughts, and I wrung my hands helplessly. She always added the ' _you have to_ ' when her intuition wanted me to do something, and I had learnt the easy way (because I never thought of defying her) that it made life easier when I simply went along with whatever she told me to do.

On the first day of high school, ' _I had to_ ' wear a pair of shocking pink socks, and I was cursing her supposed intuition when there was a random uniform check.

The teacher's eyes nearly popped at the vibrancy of my socks, and I was made to purchase a new pair.  
It was then that I met Yoochun, my new classmate who was caught for not wearing socks (why would anyone). His initial amusement at my choice of socks slowly developed and progressed to that of an unshakable bond that has lasted till today.

Life was generally much easier when you listened to my mother's 'you have to' s.  
 _Honestly._

\- - -

"We're going out later. You could tag along if you want," Yoochun offered kindly as I marched along beside him, shielding the sun from my vision with my plastic file.

My mother had advised Yoochun to take Vick (my mother's huge dog. I told you that my mom wasn't particularly normal. You would have thought that a mild sorcerer would have a black cat that melted into shadows instead of a _dog_ ) out for a walk one day, and the oversized canine had pulled him along in the park, proceeding to pounce onto Junsu, one of our school's footballers. Apparently Junsu was on the end of Yoochun's string, and even though the other was really nice, being around them too often made my teeth itch.

"Maybe," I brushed the offer off lightly as we walked towards the field.  
Maybe if I felt like it. There was after all, hours to go until soccer practice ended.  
 I sometimes couldn’t help but marvel in awe at how much Yoochun sacrificed just for his lover.

 

"Watch out!"  
I didn’t even have the time to turn in the direction of the yell, as I felt a stray ball connecting with the back of my head.

It was extraordinary, if I had the opportunity to inject.  
 _It was extraordinary how the fall seemed last for minutes in my mind._  
I could probably relate it to you with awful clarity, how the sun felt against my flushed face, the press of my stiff uniform against my sweaty back, and most importantly, how the dull throb at the back of my head where the cursed ball had bounced off coincided perfectly with the very spot my mother had been caressing all day long.

I was starting to doubt the prowess of my mother, I thought bitterly as I felt my knees giving way while I fell sprawling onto the ground, splattering onto the track in pain.

I wondered if this was what she had anticipated, because it surely wasn't any form of love that she had predicted through the leaves.

( _The one for you is close, Jaejoongie!_ )  
Ugh.

And I had so gullibly believed that I would be floating on clouds this week.  
This was probably the first time her 'You have to' was wrong. She had unknowingly (or was it knowingly?) sent me to be severely injured, and I was now on the brink of comatose, in too ill a shape to find my love if I ever managed to continue living.

The track, baked under the merciless afternoon sun, was warm under my cheek.

"Jaejoong! Are you alright?" I faintly registered Yoochun's frantic, stupid voice above me.

"I'm so sorry. Oh my god. I'm so sorry."

Without opening my eyes, I swat the air above me violently, and to my utmost satisfaction, came in contact with a face. I opened my eyes gleefully, hoping that it was Yoochun.  
Oops.  
I quickly retracted my hand, sitting up, as I took my file from a very amused standing Yoochun, studiously ignoring the small-faced boy with who was crouching beside me in worry.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't know-"

"I bet you didn't know how to kick!" I pushed my messy fringe out of my eyes impatiently as I turned to glare at him. "Apology not accepted. Junsu, fire your member." I commanded angrily, as my perpetrator spluttered beside me, at a loss for words, while his captain merely laughed his annoying dry laughter, instead of disciplining his insolent member.

"Forget it." I shot back to nobody in particular, pushing the cow who was crouching over me off.

Standing up, I dusted myself in a huff.  
"I have somebody to talk to," I informed through gritted teeth as Yoochun gave me a mock salute, obviously knowing my quest.

Rubbing my sore head, I stalked off in fury.  
I had a certain florist to interrogate.

\- - -

"Baby!"  
I cringed involuntarily at the pet name. "I had the feeling that you would drop by. Help me carry the boxes!"

I sighed helplessly as all antagonism melted away at the sight of my mother's face.

"Ouch!" I yelped, nearly dropping the delivery when my mother's soft hand came up to the bruise.

"Ooh. Something happened! Tell me, tell me!" She egged as I greeted my neighbour who ran the business with her.  
"Wait! Have a drink first," she laughed as she pushed a warm cup into my hands. Sighing helplessly, I downed the tea in a few quick gulps.

"I was hit by a ball, _on the head_ , because _you_ told me to wait with Yoochun." I enunciated slowly as  I set the cup down.

It was frustrating in the sense where you would expect to know what was ahead especially with a psychic mother, but in all actuality, it definitely wasn't so. I still got unknowingly hit by balls on spots that were predicted. And in this case, I was definitely, intentionally made to be hit.  
It was as if she could only predict the part of an event that was less crucial, and it felt incapacitating. I wanted to sink into the countertop with a heavy sigh.

"I'm sorry," she offered, but it was as helpful as my perpetrator's apology. Nodding tiredly as I cooled myself off in front of the air conditioning, my mother peered into the cup slowly.

"Hey, it says that you've met your true love already."

My arms fell to my side as I watched my neighbour reach over to look at the cup in my mother's hands.  
All of it was falling into place.

I honestly, in my life, never once thought that it would go like this.  
In my mind, it _always_ started out _much_ nicely.

Perhaps I would have my head buried in a book, and we'd accidentally walk into each other. Or I would be rushing for the lift, and she would hold it open for me. Maybe we'd reach for the same book on the shelf, or we'd take cover at the same shelter together under the rain. In all the instances, I would look into her eyes, and my tongue would fail me.  
We would then laugh awkwardly, before somehow finding a way to exchange our numbers.  
It _never once_ ran along the lines of being hit in the head violently by a stray ball.

But now, apparently not only was my perpetrator _the one_ , but the one wasn't a girl, but a _boy_.  
How did things even work out to be like that?

Turning at an excruciatingly slow speed to look at both my mother and her colleague, I swallowed the gulp of saliva that had pooled unknowingly, in trepidation.

"I think uh, I think I snapped at him..."

I watched as her face fell in disappointment.  
 _Oops._

\- - - - -

Alighting the bus disappointedly, I cursed my luck. In times like this, it was hard to forgive your mother for not being a know-it-all seer who had a crystal ball that could predict anything and everything, including the weather.

Maybe I could run for it, I frowned, as I gauged the rain.  
My house was within the maze of the estate, but if I was lucky enough, I could probably be in time to whine at the rain unhappily with Vick.

At that point, I really didn't know what was controlling me, seeing that I would never have ran out on saner days.  
I was howling regretfully into the torrent the very moment I left the bus stop with only my file shielding my head. My sleeves were instantly soaked, and my ears rang with the roar of the deluge as I ran splashing on the puddles.  
But at the same time while I was practically soaking wet, I didn't want to return to the bus stop either.

I was stark crazy, and it felt thoroughly exhilarating. Maybe this was what they meant when they talked about the joys of youth. The rain was a cool relief against my skin, and I laughed freely into the rain.

May it pour even harder! I exclaimed generously with a flourish, twirling happily under the dark gray canopy.  
And as impossible as it seemed, the already _extreme_ rain _really_ did seem to worsen.  
A wave of panic broke through my momentary insanity, and I ran towards the nearest shelter in sight.

I was breathless with the adrenaline rush, with the widest smile plastered on my face. My uniform was almost wet, but I still somehow managed to find it within me to congratulate myself lavishly for the evident spots of dry areas. Dropping onto the elevated seat with a good-natured sigh, I waited with every single ounce of patience the schools had inculcated within me for years, smiling idly while I waited for the rain to stop.  
It was as if a part of me had been calmed by the insanity streak, and I had never felt better in my life, despite the situation; even despite the bitter cold.

Staring blankly into the gray curtain, my mind wandered to Yunho (that’s the name of my murderer) and school in general, when I heard a loud yell. Turning right, I watched disbelievingly as Yunho came running towards the shelter. I knew that it was rude to stare, but I couldn't help it. I had been studiously avoiding Yunho these few days, never mind that we were made for each other and all that. Yoochun had told me his name, before continuing that Yunho, who had just entered the school the very day I traumatized him, was incredibly sorry.  
But it didn't matter whether he was sorry or otherwise. Exacerbated by my frustration at my half-baked mother that I loved, my behaviour had been simply repulsive, and I had made such a fool of myself, I didn't know how to ever face him again. But as luck would have it, fate had him delivered dripping wet to me.

"Jaejoong!" He exclaimed with such shock the moment he recognized me that I cringed in guilt.  
Was there a way to spontaneously will yourself invisible?

I watched as he shifted on his feet nervously. Was that shyness that I detected? Smiling coyly at him, I slid left on the long seat to make space for him. Muttering a hurried thanks as he plopped down, about an elbow's distance away, I couldn't help but laugh.  
I _really_ must have left an impression.

"What are you doing here?" We asked at the same time, and I burst out in amusement, my hand instinctively rising to cover my mouth.

"Uh, I live here," we somehow managed to reply the same thing almost simultaneously again, only that he didn't add a redundant 'Uh.' I honestly couldn't stop laughing then, my mother's words coming back to me. I briefly saw his face scrunching up in confusion, and I had the sudden urge to exclaim that we were literally made for each other. No, not the way he thought, but the _forever-in-life_ kind.  
He would probably think that I was crazy.  
It drove me further, and I nearly fell off the high seat as I convulsed in laughter. Not a very good impression either, a part of me warned, but it was _so funny_ , I couldn't help myself.

"Where do you live at?" I finally managed normally (or as normal as I could manage), after my bout of delirium faded. Yunho shifted uncomfortably, but honestly, who could blame him? I tried my utmost best to not surly my image any further.

"Uh, Vaughan Drive. I shifted here last Friday, but since I had liaised with the school, I started immediately."

I bit the insides of my cheeks.  
 _Must not_ laugh at the coincidence of Yunho living at the stretch behind us, I repeated mentally. My mother would probably have a field day if she knew this. I had the indomitable urge to sling my arm around Yunho and get it over with.

I crossed my legs in unrivalled restrain.

"Hey! I live just behind you!" I channelled my sheer amusement into my voice as disguised enthusiasm. Yunho's eyes seemed to brighten, and I couldn't help but laugh once more.  
The rain had honestly left me wonky.

Deciding that it was happiness on his face as I sobered, I found it within myself to scold him lightly even despite my prior outburst. "It's no use when both of us don't have umbrellas, no matter how close we stay." I continued teasingly, trying to take charge of the conversation to steer clear of any potential landmines.

I watched amusedly as Yunho flubbed helplessly as he tried to scramble for words in an attempt to defend himself.  
His emotions were like an open book.

"Actually, I had an umbrella when I left the door. But then I was exiting the gate when a brown haired woman with the largest dog I've ever seen walked up asking to lend an umbrella." I nearly choked at my own saliva at this point, and Yunho shot me a questioning look as he plowed on.  
"She promised that she would return it tomorrow, and I figured it didn't matter, so I lent it to her."

Oh, of all good sense! I had breakfast with a note from my mother that she had went for a walk with Vick, a completely unprecedented move that had taken me by surprise. And apparently she had acted on an intuition to unknowingly bring Yunho and me together. Dear gosh. My poor unsuspecting mother was a pawn of her intuition.

"I suppose it does matter now though," he trailed off as he looked out at the rain sadly with a childlike sniff.

Oh, everything was so ridiculous today, that I had the sudden urge to roll over on the ground and laugh without restrain. Bless Yunho and his innocent soul. I bit the insides of my mouth as I frowned at him, trying to swallow my laughter.

"You know, you seem to be in a much better mood today than on Monday." He offered politely as he turned to look at me, and it definitely didn't help the situation. I wasn't just in a _good mood_. I was _stark crazy_. I found my resolve crumbling, and I burst into uncontrollable laughter once more.

Finally wiping a stray tear from the corner of my eyes after a long while, I straightened. "Oh, I don't know, Yunho. You're honestly so sincere that it's disarming." I watched amusedly as he turned pink, before looking away.  
I suppose this was how it was like when you were made for each other. Conversations flowed easily like the endless rain.

"So, did you make it into the team?" I changed subjects once more as I watched his shoulders rise.  
Along the way, we had somehow closed the initial distance (was I the only one responsible for it?), and I was fatally aware of how our sleeves were brushing against one another occasionally.  
It was as if my senses were heightened in his vicinity, and I vaguely wondered if it was due to real attraction or the knowledge that we were a match. Watching tenderly as his eyes shone brightly, I noted how animated his expressions were as he related to me the details of the tryouts, and how nervous he had been when he realised that he had hit Junsu's friend.

I could honestly imagine a life of Yunho, I thought idly to myself as I tuned back into his baritone once more.

 

\- - - - -

 

A/N: Cross posting and I bet there's tensal problems somewhere, ugh.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jaejoong has a prophetic mother, and he struggles to uncover whether he loves Yunho for who he is, or simply because Yunho's the one at the end of his string of fate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta: liltee_jycyj at LJ

"Do you have practice today?" I asked casually as we walked to the bus stop together.

Yunho and I had became uncharacteristically close in the shortest amount of time. We would consume my mom's limitless tea while we studied at my house, walk to school together, and back if our schedules coincided. He had a faint idea of my mother's jobs and her capability (his shock when he saw Vick at the porch) but he didn't know about the whole ' _made for each other_ ' thing, and Yoochun had also agreed that it was best that he didn't know, till later.

Yunho nodded generously with a wide smile. I had came to notice how his actions were always exaggerated, in the sense where even if something was within reach, Yunho would always push his chair back noisily, getting onto his feet to reach over completely, before smiling to himself (adorably) at the job well done. It was odd to say the least, and I watched how genuine he was hungrily as I took in the way he carried himself comfortably.

Humming noncommittally, I hopped onto the edge of the pavement as I balanced on the elevated sides. At least Debate didn't have _that many_ meetings. I quickly sent a mental 'thank you" to our formidable Debate president Shim Changmin. I was honestly sure that too much intellectual stimulation would lead to an early death.  
I wobbled a little, and Yunho shifted left quickly to steady me. "Thanks," I mumbled as I righted myself, focusing on my path once more, my heart strangely jumpy. I was conscious of Yunho's eyes on me, and a part of me waited expectantly for him to ask me to wait for practice to end. Yet ironically, another was afraid of the fine line between us blurring.  
Was it too fast? Were we progressing too quickly? It was after all but days since we had begun to talk to each other.

"Jaejoong, you know... would you, er," Yunho stammered, and I could practically feel my heart quicken.  
 _ This was it _ . I would be waiting for _hours_ like Yoochun for _that few minutes_ , because I knew that I would agree.  
 _ A part of me was so desperate to acquiesce to Yunho that it scared me.  _

"I have to bring Vick to the vet today." I found myself interrupting quickly instead, before reeling from my own betrayal. _What a lie! What a rotten person you are, Jaejoong!_ I grimaced as I watched his face crumble in disappointment as he looked away in embarrassment. I was sure that I had guessed it correctly, and I heaved a terrible sigh of relieve. A disaster averted.  
I thanked my mother for my ingenuity, even though I could already imagine her disapproval.

Reaching out to poke Yunho at his side to dispel the strange mood, I laughed loudly as he protested feebly.  
"I'll race you to the bus stop! Last one there's an idiot." I challenged, quickly speeding off, knowing full well that I would surely be the last. Junsu had said that Yunho ran almost as fast as he did, and Junsu was our school's record holder for sprinting. I deserved to be called an idiot anyway, I supposed, since I didn't even have the guts to do things properly.

For some odd reason, instead of racing to overtake me, Yunho only held onto my hand, making me drag him along.

Releasing only when we reached the bus stop, he didn't even seem to mind when I began to tease him. Looking at the faint smile on his flushed face, I was sure that some part of me hadn't been the same ever since I had met Yunho.  
It felt as if I had finally made a pair of prescription lenses, and I was looking at the world properly for the first time, breathless by the disarming amount of details of everything, and the world that I once knew wasn't quite what it had been anymore. Everything had taken on a new light, the colours of everything searing into my mind together with the sharp planes of his face.  
It was a dizzying experience that I would never give up.

Maybe we were both idiots after all, I thought with a smile as I watched him flag the first bus down.

\- - - - -

"Where's my son-in-law?"  
Cringing involuntarily at the term, I dropped the remote control onto my lap heavily. I didn't need to turn back to imagine the sanguine smile on my mother's face. Biting the insides of my mouth quietly, I stared straight ahead, feigning momentary deafness.

"I haven't seen Yunho for days," my mother laughed lightly at my stubborn muteness as she occupied the seat beside me.

"Remove your-" she admonished lightly, holding onto my right ankle as she folded my foot off the coffee table.

Suddenly squeezing lightly, she looked at me seriously.  
"Does it hurt?"

I shook my head idly as she dropped my feet onto the wooden flooring. "You should watch your legs or something," she advised airily before changing the channels casually. Frowning lightly, I bent over to massage where my mother had just squeezed.

_ I sincerely hoped that it wouldn't have anything to do with balls. _

\- - - - -

"Are you going to wait with me?" Yoochun wheedled as he tugged at my hand with possibly the _stupidest_ face I had ever seen, and would ever see in my entire life. I simply shook my head as I tried to extract my hand from his grip.

“I have a debate session to run for.”

"It starts at four. It's just three twenty now. Besides, don't you have something going on with Yunho?"

"No. I thankfully do not, and I like to go early to play with Changmin. He secretly likes me" I joked easily, trailing along kindly after my friend, who was walking towards the track to wait for Junsu.

"I bet you wish you had something going on with Yunho," Yoochun gave me a greasy smirk as he waved exaggeratedly to Junsu who had spotted him.  
" _I don't. **Honestly**._ " I shot back, and Yoochun's hands released mine as he turned to look at me in shock, responding more to my tone than anything.

I waved feebly at Yunho who had noticed me, my forced smile not reaching my eyes.

 

I honestly didn't know what I wanted with Yunho. It felt more of an obligation to be close to him due to the knowledge that we were made for each other, and I wanted to know if I really cared for him. I had this feeling that Yunho desired more beyond our friendship, but I really wasn't ready to commit anything right now.  
I wanted to take things slowly, because didn't we have an eternity to figure things out in the first place? And I couldn't deny that perhaps I was a little scared. I simply wasn't ready for a lifetime's worth of commitments, and I honestly couldn't comprehend how Yoochun could keep up with it.

_Was it still love when your heart didn't beat a million times a minute?_ But on the hand, it was what the thing between us was supposed to be. I was pressured to love Yunho, and I didn't know how to sit down with that idea.  
I was utterly lost, stuck at a point where I didn't know how to proceed.

Some days I would lay awake at night, wishing desperately that Yunho would fall in love with another girl instead, and then _maybe_ , maybe I would feel a little more at ease. But strangely, my heart would ache almost immediately, and I would wonder if it was because I genuinely loved Yunho, or it was due to my selfish sense of proprietary that thought him to be mine, like the leaves had said.

I looked sadly at Yoochun, a lump forming at my throat. I didn't know how to put it into words, the crippling sense of helplessness that always accompanied my thoughts of Yunho. And even if I somehow managed, I wasn't sure whether he would understand, or whether _anybody_ would, for the matter.

Yoochun looked at me heavily, and for a moment, I feared that he could see through all of me.

"You know that I'm happy, right?" He said quietly, taking a step towards me, and I instinctively took a step back nervously, nodding quickly.

Yoochun and I were different in the sense where he loved easily without any fear of the unknown, whereas I was the type who needed to know where I was going.

"I've got a debate session to go for," I repeated feebly while Yoochun looked coolly into my eyes. I slowly retreated, one foot after another, compelled to hold his gaze as if my conscience depended on it. The next moment, I felt myself stepping on air, but my weight was titled backwards and I cursed mentally as I felt my fall, my other leg quickly coming out to break my fall.  


It was like the first day I had met Yunho once more, minus the pain at the back of my head.  
The sun in my face, the dull shouts in the background, drowned by my thudding heart. A moment later, I found myself sitting on the ground, bottom sore, both palms stinging from the impact of cushioning my fall. They weren't bleeding, but they were the colour of an angry red, a faint imprint of the bumpy road obvious on my palms.  
Looking blankly at my hands, I reached dreamily to press at the stinging sensation at the base of my palm. _How could something that wasn't bleeding hurt so much?_  
Somebody grabbed my left wrist instead.

Looking up with mild annoyance, I was somehow unsurprised that it was Yunho.  
 _ It was as if a part of me had somehow **anticipated** it.  _

"Are you okay?" He asked, his voice frantic, his eyes wild.  
Instead, I had the urge to calmly wipe the beads of perspiration off his forehead.

It was a very odd sensation, as if I was still falling in my mind, existing in the _null_ between the moment's carelessness and the pain, right at the point where nothing much really mattered.

"Are you injured?" His hands skimmed my shoulders, before moving to my legs. I blurted a string of explicits the moment he ghosted my right ankle. Biting my lips, I instead looked at Yoochun for distraction, studiously pretending not to notice how the entire football team seemed to be looking at me as if I was a very exotic zoo exhibit while their newest team member fussed over me.

"I think it's sprained," Yoochun offered lightly, and Yunho made an angry noise that sounded very much like a grunt. I couldn't help but stifle my laughter with a wry sigh as the pain slowly started to set in as the adrenaline wore off.  
Yunho looked sharply at me questioningly.

"Er, my mother was kind of expecting this." I explained slowly as Junsu chased his members back to training. The edges of Yunho's lips lifted.  
"Do you think you can walk?" Yunho asked as Yoochun moved to help me up. I stumbled up awkwardly, barely managing a few steps before the pain became too much.  
There was a faint pressure behind my knees, and in a swift motion, I found myself being swept breathlessly into Yunho's arms. I couldn't find it within me to protest, my hands thoughtlessly wounding itself around Yunho's neck, and action as instinctive as reaching for lights in a dark room, _like it was within me to do so._

For some odd reason, I didn't even ask where we were going. It was as if because it was _Yunho_ , it was fine. Gazing at his profile wordlessly, I wondered idly to myself why I had never noticed the mole above his lips.

I had the sudden urge to laugh and tell him that it was okay, _I was okay_ , and the world wouldn't end at any point in time just because he had a mole on his lips.  
 _ Everything was going to be okay just because he had a mole on his lips.  _

I smiled at him lightly.  
My train of thoughts were frankly rather disconcerting to say the least.

\- -

I watched from the bed as he moved around skilfully. Yunho had removed my shoes and sock the moment we arrived at the sick bay, and he was now peering into the fridge.

"Ice pack, for your ankle." He suddenly tossed the thin slab at me, and I reached down to press it against my swollen ankle.  
It looked absolutely terrible.

The shadowy room fell silent once more as we waited for the nurse to return.

"Thank you," I suddenly offered, and he swivelled on the chair to look at me.

"Is that an apology too?" He zipped over quickly, and I leaned back instinctively in guilt.  
I had left home earlier than usual today simply because I wanted to experiment if I missed him. It didn't manage to work, because I couldn't figure whether I truly missed Yunho, or whether I just missed the comfort of a companion. I didn't know how to explain it to him, so I nodded. Seeing him shrug it off so lightly instead made me feel a sense of guilt and frustration that I never once entertained. I wanted to be angry for him; I wanted to beat myself up for him.   
I wanted to burst into tears and confess every single mistake that I had made, while begging for him to yell at me.

"I was almost late, waiting for you, if you must know," he added casually as he brushed against my hand to take the ice pack over to shift its position.  
A bundle of emotions crystallized and lodged itself in my throat. I didn't know how to reply, so I bit my lips silently as I looked at his profile sadly. I didn't know what possessed me, but the very next moment I found myself tucking a strand of hair behind his ear as I leaned in to press a chaste kiss at the corner of his lips.

When I withdrew, he was looking at me unblinkingly, eyes wide with shock, face tinged with embarrassment.

"I can't promise you anything. I'm sorry."

He nodded, suddenly wheeling backwards quickly, spinning himself to face the wall, as if needing to put a space between us while he composed himself.  
Bending over to pick the compress that he had dropped, I gave him a few moments to himself, while I wished desperately, and unfairly that he wouldn't leave me.

When I looked up, he was smiling at me shyly, and I let out a breath that I never knew I was holding.

_ I sometimes didn't even know what I contributed to our relationship. _

\- -

When the nurse finally returned, I learnt that apparently Yunho had sprained his ankle once before. It was amazing to note how a little experience did so much to people. He had explained to me while waiting that there were three types of sprains and mine was probably the second, not too severe, especially since the swelling had subsided a little with the ice.

The nurse was practically all over him for knowing the importance of ice, and I put in another check under my mental tally for the things I owed Yunho.

"Place ice on your ankle through the night and rest as much as possible." She paused to look at me disappointedly.  
"You could visit a doctor to have it wrapped, or visit me tomorrow during school to get it wrapped. I'm sorry." 

I blinked at her, wondering how I would even be able to go anywhere seeing that we didn't have a family car.

"I could wrap it for him. The doctor taught me once." Yunho suddenly piped up much to everybody's awe. Disbelievingly, the nurse improvised a short test that he passed with flying colours. I couldn't help but think that maybe I would be Yunho's slave in my next life.

"Could you give me some bandages and lend me a pair of crutches?"

I shifted the ice pack idly, watching Yunho as I wondered why he had even brought me here. He honestly seemed pretty self sufficient on his own.

\- -

After hobbling back to the grandstand on my crutches with great difficulty, I found myself waiting for Yunho's practice to end with Yoochun much later.  
I could envision approximately three weeks of extreme reliance on Yunho.

"Do you think I'll be his slave in our next life?" I voiced idly, more focused on the ice pack than anything.

Yoochun gave his trademark derisive laughter after a few moments, and I nodded in understanding wearily. But at least I was sure that Yunho would treat his subordinates well, so life wouldn't be too bad anyway.  
Yunho's father was going to fetch us home after work, and I was going to bathe at his home for now because between the both of us, he was the only one with a bathtub, and the _master-of-sprains_ had spoken, so I had absolutely no right to say otherwise.

I was secretly expecting somebody to suggest that our both families had dinner together. It didn't seem too far-fetched, and my mother would probably die of amusement.  
At least she was finally getting her wish to meet the ' _in-laws_.'

Sighing heavily to myself, I instead settled to watch Yoochun. His face was spirited despite the idle seconds that ticked by, as if watching Junsu play made him alive.  
 _ I had never felt further from my best friend.  _ It was as if Yoochun had settled into 'marriage life' without my knowing, and I was only realising it moments too late. Watching the pride on his face, I felt oddly betrayed as I wondered if my mother, or anyone would understand my feelings.

It was odd to feel such bitterness rising within myself even despite the number of people milling about.   
Blinking desperately at the brilliant blue sky, I suppressed the urge to cry.

\- - -

Maybe this was all Yunho's plan, I laughed softly to myself much later after the mood passed as I watched Yunho race across the field quickly as he hollered for his teammates.  
Maybe he wanted me to realise how handsome he was _(not that I wasn't aware)_. I felt my heart skip a beat as he flicked his hair out of his vision unconsciously, before making a quick U-turn as he rushed in for the kill.

I suppose I finally understood why some girls who knew naught about football still watched the game. The testosterone was palpable and maybe it was the jerseys too. I couldn't help but laugh. I wondered if Yunho would come to my competitions and think the same.  
Probably not.  
He would surely be taken by Shim Changmin's fierceness and conviction. I felt Yoochun's eyes on me and I looked at him quizzically.

"You're laughing," he stated, and I wondered if it was an observation or a question.

Deciding to torment him, I smirked at him evilly.  
"I think I'm turning to be like you and it’s not as bad as I thought."

Yoochun blinked confusedly at me, and I turned back to look ahead, picking Yunho out easily as I studiously ignored my friend as punishment for moving on without me.

\- - - - -

A/N: Yunho didn't run to beat Jaejoong because he thought himself an idiot for even daring to make a move. Yep.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jaejoong has a prophetic mother, and he struggles to uncover whether he loves Yunho for who he is, or simply because Yunho's the one at the end of his string of fate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta: liltee_jycyj at LJ

So that was how I came to have a stack of my clothes in Yunho's cupboard.

I was encouraged to leave a few changes of clothes in Yunho's house by his father who seemed to be a  _master-in-sprains_  too. I honestly thought that Yunho was probably so giving because his parents had brought him up to be so. They didn't seem to mind letting me traipse through their house for almost three weeks (not that his parents were home in the day but nonetheless), and they were the ones who suggested dinner together, much to my mother's delight.  
  
Yunho's mother seemed to be very excited to meet my mother and I, and I couldn't help but wonder what Yunho had said to her.  
  
\- - -  
  
"Does your sister have a boyfriend?" I asked politely after dinner as I laid tiredly on Yunho's bed, a bag of ice balanced on my swollen ankle.  
My mother had brought Yunho's mom to our home to show my mother more about aromatherapy blends. Yunho could probably look forward to returning to a different smelling house after school the next day.  
  
Yunho looked at me from the floor as if in mild shock.  
"What! She's pretty! Don't guys flock to her?" I replied defensively in explanation when he simply gaped at me.  
  
"No, she's too young!" He retorted, and I thought that it sounded more like he was trying to convince himself.  
  
"What if some guy liked her and he asked for your blessings?" I continued, genuinely curious as to how he would react. He seemed to be too protective of his younger sister to the point of bordering on unhealthiness.  
  
He instead shifted closer towards the bed.  
"Are you asking for my blessings?" He blinked slowly at me, his lips curling as I spluttered.  _That_  wasn't even a valid answer, and if anything,  _I was too enamoured by him to think of anyone else in **that** way. _  
  
"Well that settles it then. Nobody's asking for my blessings, and that's that." He said simply, almost satisfied, as he got up, wiping off the condensation that had gathered on the bag of ice.  
For a moment, I felt immense pity for his sister to have a tyrant for a brother.  
  
Suddenly leaning over, he pushed me inwards, complaining about how he had been the one who had been running about all day. Even though I argued unhappily that I was the patient here, he didn't seem to care, as he made space for himself on his bed.  
  
As we laid down wordlessly beside each other, I thought for a faint moment that it would have been nice to be able stay over at Yunho's till my leg healed.  
  
I could feel his warmth beside me, and I didn't realise then how much I had came to rely on Yunho, whom I had just met a mere month ago.  
  
\- - - - -  
  
I switched the bed light on groggily the next day and I was disappointed to find that my leg was still swollen. I wasn't sure what I had expected, but it surely wasn't this.  
  
Reaching for my crutches, I stumbled to the toilet, lifting myself up onto the counter heavily in fatigue, as I slid inwards to sit on the marble counter to ready myself for school.  
I had examined my room for places that I could lean or sit on the previous night. It didn't come up to much, but at least I had drawn up a plan as to how to ready myself for school.  
  
Removing my shirt easily, I proceeded to peel my pyjamas bottom off carefully without touching my swollen ankle. I had learnt about the various degrees of pain that one could experience with a sprain the night before, and it had naturally been followed up with a revision of the explicits I had picked up since I was young, and I definitely had no need to revisit the list.  
Finishing, I flashed my reflection a triumphant smile for the job well done before exiting the bathroom.  
  
I nearly fell over at the sight of Yunho sitting crossed legged on my bed.  
  
"What are you doing here?" I was amazed that I still had the mental capacity to form a coherent question, despite being excruciatingly aware that I was cladded in nothing but my briefs. At least Yunho's eyes didn't stray; I comforted myself wearily as I nodded dismissively when he raised the roll of bandage in his hands.  
  
"Your mom let me in." He continued nervously, and I couldn't help but sigh. Acting like nothing was amiss; I plonked along clumsily, the crutches creaking under my weight at every step as I inched towards the cupboards.  
  
"Er, I'll help," he launched up suddenly with a simple ease that I likewise used to possess. It oddly seemed ages ago that I used to be walking without an aid.  
  
I didn't know what to do as I felt him press up from behind me, so I looked ahead.  
I suddenly felt so tired, barely able to suppress the urge to fall onto the ground, to wait expectantly for him to pick me up.  
  
It felt so incredibly unfair all of a sudden.  
  
Hobbling over to the bed, I sank down heavily with immense frustration at my state, as he removed the pants from the hanger, while he turned the other way politely.  
Not that there was any difference, to be absolutely honest, since I was  _getting dressed_ , not _the other way round_. When I was finally done, and my mood had soothed a little, he sat down beside me as he lifted my leg gently.  
  
I watched wordlessly as he wrapped my leg up in a bandage after coating a thin sheen of ointment onto my leg with his shapely fingers. At that moment, I was unsure of what was bubbling within me. It was as if my heart had been replaced by a huge gaping hole that was sucking everything in its vicinity like a vacuum, leaving the rest of me lost and empty.  
  
"Do you think I'm relying on you too much?" I asked softly, as he looked up at me. He didn't say anything for a while, his almond shaped eyes looking at me with an inexplicable sadness before he finally shook his head lightly.  
  
"If anything, I feel like I'm using you." He replied easily, and it left me hanging. I waited for him to finish, but he didn't. He just continued working the bandages, so I instead settled for sitting still with my eyes closed as I tried to ward off the new wave of weariness weighing on me.  
  
-  
  
He then carried me down wordlessly later and I was thankful that my mom didn't make any comments. When we finally exited the house with my breakfast, I nearly burst out laughing at the sight of a bicycle standing expectantly at the porch.  
  
"What! Do you want to hobble to school?" He retorted, mildly flustered, and I couldn't help but think to myself that he was incredibly adorable.  
Biting the insides of my cheeks, I waited for him to get on, before sitting awkwardly with both my legs dangling at one side as I wrapped my arms around my crutches.  
  
"Hold on to my waist," he insisted, and for a moment, I had the ridiculous image of us jetting off to the sunset. Complying obediently, I held onto my crutches uneasily, studiously ignoring my mother who was peeking from the curtains conspicuously as the bicycle started to move.  
  
When we emerged from the estate, I circled his waist tighter, as I lifted my crutches a little higher. The morning was still dark, and there weren't many cars on the road yet.  
I had intentionally gotten up early so that I would have enough time to ready with my handicap, and since Yunho had the same idea too, we ended up leaving the house much earlier than usual.  
  
As the cool air breezed by, I moaned belatedly in my mind that it was hours too early for us to ride into the sunset. Yunho didn't seem to mind my additional weight much, and I found myself worrying less, leaning into him lightly as I breathed in the scent that I was slowly becoming familiar with.  
  
Watching the world whizzing by me, I didn't even pay attention to where we were going, because I trusted Yunho, and I couldn't help but marvel at how our bodies even seemed to fit despite the odd angle.  
I wondered if I was the only one enjoying the ride.  
  
"What are you thinking about?" I asked casually, as I leaned forward to catch his expression. He only shook his head lightly.  
  
"You wouldn't want to know," he replied almost immediately, and I wondered if his reply was intentional, to bait my curiosity.  
 _It was as if because you couldn't have it, the more you craved for it._  
That was the whole logic of consumerism, basing everything on human's wants, forcing humans to enslave themselves and work for it. Right now, I  _wanted_ to know.  
  
I fell silent, reclining, as I stared at the back of his head.  
  
"The more you say things like that, the more it'll pique my interest," I continued, the  ** _need_** to know now consuming my entire soul. I could literally feel my fingers curling from the curiosity.  
 _I would pay **any**  amount to know his secret. _  
  
"If you knew, you wouldn't think of me that nicely anymore."  
  
I swore that Yunho could be a criminal interrogator in future. He knew exactly which buttons to push with the sole intention of driving a person crazy.  
  
"I wouldn't. I promise I wouldn't." I begged pitifully, probably harder than I ever had, even for sweets when I was younger.  
  
"I wouldn't, Yunho. I wouldn't!" I repeated annoyingly, unconsciously rocking back and forth as I clutched his shirt, almost falling over from my precarious perch on the backseat of Yunho's bicycle. He screeched to a sudden stop in worry, unintentionally throwing me off with the violent jerk. My left foot reflexively touched the ground to break my fall, and I instantly thank the gods for my swiftness.  
  
"Shit! Damn it, Jaejoong! You almost had me there!" He yelled as he glared angrily at me.  
I looked away studiously, avoiding his eyes, flushing unhappily as I climbed back onto the backseat with an unhappy pout. Ignoring him, I shifted my crutches haughtily, signalling for the ride to continue. I could feel the intensity of his glare as I stared furiously at the wild grass beyond the cement pavement.  
It wasn't as if he had given me a choice, right?  
  
Silence fell between us, and I looked away determinedly, pretending not to notice his apprehension when he finally sat back down.  
  
The bicycle suddenly seemed overly squeezy.  
  
  
  
"I... I just thought that maybe the gods decided to grant me my wishes, by making you sprain your ankle." He suddenly confessed in mid-pedal, and I made a throaty noise of protest, more out of shock than anything.  
  
"I don't even know why I'm saying this, but ever since I've met you, I've felt an inexplicable pull towards you, and I can't let you go. I know that you've been avoiding me, but right now, your sprain has made you reliant on me. So I'm happy, selfishly happy that you can't run away from me for this period of time."  
  
The world seemed to go by faster at a dizzying pace, and an elderly woman even stopped to watch as we passed. My head had started to throb so badly that I would have sworn that it had swelled.  
  
"I think that I've never felt happier today with you beside me." His voice had became smaller, and he didn't say anything else after, and neither did I.  
Did I think badly of him? I definitely didn't. I just felt incredibly sad, and guilty. Leaning my head once more against his back tentatively, my hand returned to his front again.  
  
I wondered if he could feel my heartbeat against his back.  
  
Love was selfish, wasn't it? And Yunho loved me, even while I selfishly guarded my heart. This was an inescapable fate, and even after spinning a million rounds, I would still find myself by Yunho's side, seeking for his love,  _selfishly_ expecting him to take me back. Maybe this was the real thing, and I wanted him by my side because I  _loved_ him.  
Because his company was unlike that of Yoochun's. It was a sweeter kind that sparked a dormant spring of happiness within me, laced with the comforting security and knowledge that I could rely on him. It didn't matter if it was an obligatory sort of love, or whether I truly loved him. Because he made me feel a little different whenever he was around, I wanted to believe that it was the stock kind of love recorded in books and movies, and of the anticipation of better things to come.  
Maybe Yunho was more than what I had thought he was all along, and I had been too busy trying to read between the lines, trying to justify everything that had happened, to realise what had been in front of me.  
  
Transferring my crutches to my right hand carefully, I slowly traced my love for him on his side.  
A stroke down- I  
A line up and towards the left, that later curved like a hill inwards, and then a perfect symmetry at the right- ♥  
A stroke down, a concaved slope rightwards, a perfect symmetry on the right, before finally ending with a full stop- U.  
  
Leaning forward nervously, I saw a small smile spreading across his face; the face that I had came to love so intensely in an impossibly short amount of time.  
His grip on the bicycle handles tightened, and his knuckles turned impossibly white.  
  
“Will you wait for me today until practice ends?”  
His voice was almost a whisper.  
  
I almost thought that he would never ask.  
Murmuring my reply into his ear, I felt my chest swelling with a rush of emotions as a gentle gust of wind sifted through my hair as it swept across the lonely stretch of road that momentarily seemed to belong only to the both of us.  
  
It had taken while, but I had finally given in to the fates that bind.  
  
\- - - - -  
  
A/N: I'm almost _this_  sick of editing my old stories incessantly. Thank you for reading this, and do leave a comment (it's like a token of idk- appreciation?).

Last edited on: 22/06/13


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